Queers in America
by Hellenspawn
Summary: Set at the end of 'Same men new tricks' UK series. For all of you who wondered what the pair got up to in America. StuartVince pairing eventually. Will contain SLASH. US series crossover later. Reviews would be much appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Queer as Folk, neither the UK or US series. Forgive any liberties taken with the characters.

Vince slid into the seat next to Stuart's while people stretched to fit their hand luggage into the overhead compartments, or made sure that their seats were in their correct upright position for take-off. Vince was in a daze, still finding it hard to believe that he was actually doing it. He was leaving. Not actually beaming up or zooming off into the horizon the way he'd always imagined doing it, but still, leaving was leaving. He was abandoning his flat, his job, his mum – his responsibility. All for Stuart – no, that was just his excuse. He was doing it for the adventure. How very selfish. As if sensing his thought, Stuart turned to look at Vince and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze on the arm rest. This served to pull Vince out of the daze that he'd been in since Stuart had pulled the Jeep away from the curb outside of his flat and headed to the main road, out of town.

Vince had packed an old duffel bag with an armful of clothes, his wash kit, sunglasses, his passport, wallet and any cash he had lying around. He didn't even bother to change out of the suit he'd worn to work that day. He'd packed his phone too. Stuart may have gotten rid of his, but Vince had still felt he needed the little tie to reality, for now at least. Then he'd stepped out of his life and pulled the door to his flat shut firmly for what seemed the very first and last time. Hazel could sort the flat, he didn't need it anymore. He'd thrown his bag in the back of the Jeep, swung himself into the passenger side and let out a whoop of relief, excitement and joy as Stuart sped away from the curb-side. After that it had been clear roads and darkening sky all the way to Manchester Airport.

They'd headed straight for the ticket counter to purchase the first flight that headed out into the world, away from the tiny pond in which they'd spent their lives.

"Where do you want to go?" Had asked Stuart in his lilting Irish accent.

"I don't know. Spain's always nice, not that I've ever been there. Or how bout Italy? Lot's of pretty Italian boys for you to sink your teeth into there." Joked Vince.

"Hey, I thought I was supposed to be giving you that shag you've always wanted," Stuart had replied, snaking his arm around Vince's waist and pulling him in to rest hip-to-hip. "Or don't you want me now?"

Vince had blushed bright red and pushed away a cackling Stuart while the girl at the ticket counter stared at them with her mouth hanging open. She'd obviously heard their whole conversation.

"You're the one that's been everywhere," said Vince cattily, "You pick somewhere good to go."

"Two first class tickets to New York then, please" Stuart had said to the counter girl, slamming his Visa onto the counter. Then he'd yanked Vince by the shirt and kissed him full on the mouth in front of everyone. It hadn't been any different to their normal 'friendly' kisses, but it had been in front of all the straight people in Manchester airport, just to piss them off.

"Stuart!" Vince had yelped, pushing him off.

"For being such a cheeky bastard" was the reply he'd got. Vince had thought that he'd have to be cheeky more often.

So here he was, sat in first class on a ten hour flight direct to New York, holding Vince's hand as the plane took off. Vince had never been on an aeroplane before and Stuart could tell he was scared.

"You'll be fine once we're up in the air" he told Vince. All he got in reply was a drawn smile on a pale face filled with worried blue eyes. The word 'coward' nearly formed on his lips, but then Stuart remembered how brave Vince was being in leaving his tiny world behind and thought better of it. The plane levelled out and Vince relaxed, giving Stuart no reason to keep holding his hand, so he reluctantly separated their fingers.

The next few hours passed by, filled with Vince's aimless chit-chat about how nice the food was, how comfy the chairs were, how cool the flip down telly screen was. Stuart let the sound of Vince's words flow over him, not really listening but basking in the calming effect that the endless chatter always had upon him. The words "cost too much. You shouldn't have spent so much on me" broke through the haze, bringing the automatic response of:

"Nothing's too expensive when it's you" Vince looked at him, stunned into silence for a few seconds. _Shit_, thought Stuart, _why'd I have to say it like that?_

"Oookaaaay then. Anyway, you better let me pay something towards my ticket, and the hotel. I can't believed you booked us into a four star hotel in New York city too." He laughed nervously and Stuart picked up that Vince was uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I've got to go to the toilet, I drank too much of the free Champagne, goes right through me that stuff does" babbled Vince before getting up and heading down the isle to the on board toilet. Stuart watched him go, admiring how cute Vince's arse looked in his well fitting suit trousers. Stuart had bought him that suit two Christmas's ago especially for the view it awarded him.

Stuart sighed to himself. It seemed that Vince still wasn't taking the hint. He'd always been a little blind and too quick to put himself down, never noticing when people took interest in him. Always too quick to laugh off anything Stuart did to show his interest. Stuart wasn't any good at expressing emotion. It had taken him years to figure out that he cared more for Vince than just as a friend, and he still hadn't managed to tell Vince that either. He'd hoped that the comment he'd made about Vince's world being enough for him would have done the trick. It sort of did, seeing as Vince broke up with Cameron so soon after that, but still nothing had happened between them. He'd tried to make the first move, in his own way, but Stuart being Stuart, he'd messed it up. He had known in the back of his mind that Vince wouldn't want to share his first intimacy with him with a third person, so by repeatedly suggesting they have a threesome, he realised, he had confused and all but crushed Vince. Maybe he should do something clearer to show Vince what he could never say. An idea crept into Stuart's head and the customary predatory grin crept onto his face.

The Occupied sign lit up on the side of the airplane toilet as Stuart stood up out of his seat and headed down the aisle in the same direction that Vince had headed. There was only one toilet on this side of the first class section, so there'd be no mistake as to who was in the loo he was loitering outside of. A minute later he heard the loud sucking noise of the toilet itself and Vince giving a little yelp, startled by the unexpectedly loud noise. Another minute later, after washing and drying his hands, Vince opened the toilet door to find Stuart leaning languidly across its entrance. He looked as sexy as he did when on the prowl in Babylon, and Vince was surprised to see what he had come to call 'Stuart's seduction smirk', slithering across his face. There was something in Stuart's eyes that made Vince shiver a little, before he remembered he was standing in the entrance to the toilet for which Stuart had obviously been waiting to use. He went to step past Stuart, mumbling an apology as he did, when Stuart shoved him back into the toilet and quickly followed. Stuart shut the door behind himself and the occupied sign relit.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own either the US or UK Queer as Folk. Please forgive any liberties taken with the characters.

Chapter 2

"Stuart! What are you d-" Vince's cries of outrage were abruptly cut off by Stuart's mouth covering his own. Due to his mouth having been in the process of forming the word 'doing', Stuart was able to slip his tongue between Vince's parted lips and taste the deep recesses of his mouth. Vince nearly choked on his surprise, before melting into the wet heat that was Stuart. He tasted sweet like the Champagne they'd been drinking, with a hint of something spicy underneath. The way he always tasted. The alcohol was clouding Vince's brain, and the force of Stuart's kiss was making him swoon. He'd let Stuart pin him down on top of the toilet lid before he came to his senses and pushed him off.

It wasn't that Stuart had never kissed him, he'd snogged Vince plenty of times before; but this time it was different. It felt the same as it did when Stuart was off his head, so drunk or high he didn't know what he was doing. It felt too real, too much like what Vince wanted it to be. It scared Vince, made him feel as if his heart would split in two. He always panicked and ended up pushing Stuart away.

"What's wrong?" Stuart asked, laughter edging his voice, his eyes glinting as he peered down curiously at Vince.

"Just stop messing about and get off me." Demanded Vince, skirting the question. "There's probably a big queue of people waiting for the loo and it'll be dead embarrassing now when we go back to our seats." Vince tried to stand up, but he was trapped against the toilet by Stuarts knees braced either side of his thighs.

"Stuart, shift! Please!"

"I love it when you beg" Stuart grinned in a highly lewd manner, as lewd as facial muscles can achieve at least.

"It's not funny, so just get off me already" A little panic began to creep into Vince's pleas. He'd never been fond of small spaces.

"No. You've not been initiated yet" Stuart looked positively devilish now, and all the hotter for it. Vince started to become his customary shade of pink. _He's so cute when he blushes,_ thought Stuart, _I just want to eat him up._

"Initiated? What are you talking about? Just get off me" He started struggling against Stuart's weight, but only managed to force them closer together.

"I'm initiating you into the Mile High club!" Declared Stuart, grinding his hips into Vince's lap, successfully stopping all attempts of escape. He watched as Vince's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open in shock. He seized his chance and covered the beautifully full, parted lips with his own. Vince's resistance seemed to melt and he let a let out a small moan as Stuart ground himself against his lap again. He slid his fingers through midnight curls, probing the smooth ridges of the roof Stuart's mouth with his tongue, imprinting the sensation onto his memory.

Stuart slid his hands between their straining erections, heading for the zipper on Vince's trousers. He yanked down the zip and eagerly freed Vince's raging hard-on. _Ever a thing of beauty,_ thought Stuart. He kissed Vince again as he wrapped his long, slender fingers around it. Vince moaned his name against his lips, sending shivers down Stuart's spine. An aeroplane toilet was much too small for what Stuart wanted to do right then, so instead he planned on finishing the hand-job he'd started sixteen years ago. He would have given him the most fantastic blow-job of his life, but Stuart wanted to see Vince's face when he came. He wanted to know what he looked like when he was in ecstasy.

At least that was how Stuart had pictured it happening. The problem was, when it came to Vince, Stuart sort of dissolved into an emotional wreck. So it came to pass that Stuart ended up loitering outside the toilet cubicle with his goal firmly in mind, his resolve solidified and all his seductive powers at the ready. But when the door slid open and he came face to face with a somewhat startled looking Vince, all his confidence disappeared. His tongue froze in his mouth and he found himself at a loss for words. Vince gaze shot him a quizzical look, and then proceeded to slide past him in the tight corridor. When Vince brushed against him in the close quarters Stuart thought he might break down right there and then. He stood there blinking in the harsh light of the toilet cubicle, staring at Vince's retreating back and the perfect arse that was always walking just out of reach.

He dashed into the toilet after a moment, so as not to seem suspicious. Sitting on the toilet lid, Stuart held his head in his palms, cursing himself. He was such a fool. He'd let himself chicken out again, just like the last time. He thought about that time in the hotel room after his sisters wedding reception, the way that Vince had gently persuaded himself and Stuart that they weren't ready. The truth was, it was Stuart that wasn't ready, was still insecure, and was still the child. Vince had been ready and waiting for years. It seemed that the poor guy would have to wait a little longer. Stuart was going to have to grow up before he could give Vince what he deserved: a man who could love him completely, free and unafraid. It had to be soon though; contra to popular opinion, Stuart didn't think Vince would wait forever.

His moment of introspection over, Stuart ran the cold tap into the sink and splashed his face with water, to refresh himself. He dried his hands on a paper towel before quickly exiting the cubicle and stalking down the aisle towards his seat. He lowered himself languidly into his seat, stretching his legs out into the ample legroom of his worth-every-penny first class seat. He looked at Vince out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself, trying to figure out how Vince could make even uneasiness look adorable. He gave Vince a quick kiss on the mouth and squeezed his hand on the arm rest reassuringly, before settling himself more comfortably in his seat. It wasn't long before Stuart drifted off into a pleasant, Vince-filled dream.

Stuart woke up two hours later to find Vince asleep, snuggled against his shoulder, chin resting lightly against Stuart's chest. Stuart marvelled at how innocent Vince always looked when he was asleep. Eyes closed, eyelashes brushing his cheek, lips slightly parted. Vulnerable. He stroked the soft blonde hair back off his forehead, then circled Vince's shoulders with his arm. Stuart held him protectively, placing a delicate kiss against his hair, inhaling the faint scent of vanilla and coconut that always permeated Vince's scalp. He swore at himself for being such a coward.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The plane touched-down at ten twenty-one in the morning, Eastern Daylight Time, in JFK airport. By the time the pair of them had sleepily exited the plane, claimed their baggage, gone through customs and then grabbed a large coffee and a muffin (double chocolate for Stuart, blueberry for Vince) from the huge Starbucks built into the airport it was eleven forty-two. They headed for a table in a quiet corner of the café, Stuart balancing the tray elegantly on one hand, with Vince lugging they're bags behind him. After dumping the bags on the floor, Vince slumped onto one of seats on one of the two squishy leather sofas framing the low coffee table, jet lag showing clearly on his features. Stuart set the tray down on the table top and slid onto the sofa next to him. They sat quietly for a moment, sipping their coffees and picking at their muffins, neither one of them very hungry. After a few moments Vince broke the silence.

"So what do you want to first then?" He tried to force a little excitement and enthusiasm into his question, but Stuart could tell that Vince was too tired, and too in awe of what he'd done in the last twenty-four hours, to enjoy anything that they did straight away.

"I thought it best we check into the hotel first and get some sleep. Then I thought I'd take you out to dinner and then give you the Stuart Allen Jones tour of New York Club life." He gave Vince his most sparkling smile, one that could have made a hundred men strip naked on command. It only ever managed to draw a bright blush from Vince though.

"Sounds fantastic" breathed Vince, sounding a little relieved and starting to gain enthusiasm. He quickly downed the rest of his now lukewarm coffee, took one last mouthful of his muffin and then followed Stuart, who was already stalking off with their luggage, towards the Taxi ranks.

Stuart hailed one of the characteristic yellow New York cabbies that sat waiting patiently in the ranks. They loaded their bags into the boot of the car and then slid into the backseat of the taxi.

"The London hotel, off central park" Stuart directed the driver. The car eased out of the taxi lane and into the midday airport traffic.

"I did say that I was going to go to London" he smirked, teasing Vince. Vince just laughed, the sound of it and the light in his eyes sending Stuart's spirit soaring. There was no better high.

About thirty minutes later the cab pulled up in front of a very sleek, very new looking hotel. Vince eased himself out of the cab and stood staring at it for a moment with his mouth hanging open. The place was amazing. He was only pulled out of his gawping-induced-trance by a voice in his ear.

"Best shut your mouth unless you want someone to put something in it" Stuart breathed in his ear in his sexiest, huskiest voice. Vince visibly shivered so Stuart couldn't resist liking his ear for good measure.

"Cut it out Stuart" Vince said, wiping at his ear and turning red again. It was so easy to make him blush. He grabbed his bag out of Stuart's hand and noticed that the cab had already driven off while he was transfixed by the hotel.

"So how much was the cab, I'm paying half at least. And this place, we're not really staying here are we? I read somewhere that they have Gordon Ramsey here as a chef. It's got to be mega expensive. There's no way I'm letting you pay for all this."

"We're staying here and I am paying for it all. And that's final" Stuart said, grabbing Vince's free hand and dragging him towards the large glass doors of the hotel reception.

"But Stuart-" Vince started to protest again, but was soon silence when Stuart grabbed him by the waist, pulled him in close against his side and whispered in his ear as they passed through the doors.

"I'm sure I can find some way in which you can repay me." Stuart grinned to himself as Vince was left at a loss for words, a rare occurrence considering what a babbler he was. He pulled the now somewhat more compliant Vince with him towards the reception desk. The man on the desk looked up with a somewhat bored but professional look, until he clapped eyes upon Stuart.

"How can I help _you_ sir?" he oozed, eyeing Stuart up and down, failing to be discouraged by Stuarts grip tightening around Vince's waist.

"_We_ have a reservation, booked under Jones-Tyler" making sure to emphasise the 'we'. Vince was a little puzzled as usually Stuart would have flirted with half the staff if they showed any interest, but he was practically telling this guy to fuck off. And the guy wasn't even ugly, he was pretty damn hot in Vince's opinion. _Maybe he's finally tired of it all,_ thought Vince. He decided to worry about it later. He didn't notice that Stuart had hyphenated their last names or he would have thought about it a bit longer.

((Author's note: The London Hotel was not established until 2006. I just thought it was too cool not to base they're stay in 'London', so sorry for the conflict in time-setting as QAF UK was filmed in 1999. Just take it that QAF is based in the present.))


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own any Queer as Folk characters or have rights to the series. Please forgive any liberties taken.

Author's not: I have updated the setting for QAF to the present, including technological advances such as the I-Pod and HD TV.

Chapter 4

"Your room, sirs" said the bell hop, stopping in front of one of several white doors spaced along this stretch of the white, art deco corridor of the sixth floor.

"Room 632. I hope everything is to your satisfaction" he said as he swiped the key card, unlocking the door and pushing it wide to permit Stuart and Vince entrance. He followed them into the door way, placing their bulky bags gracefully on the lush carpet.

"This is fantastic, thanks." Said Stuart, artfully slipping a twenty dollar note into the bell hops hand. "Could you send us up a bottle of champagne in about an hour?" he asked quietly. Vince was too absorbed in the wonder of their fabulous room to notice the exchange.

"Of course, sir" he said, turning on his heel and leaving quickly. He always felt a little uncomfortable around gay couples. He wasn't a homophobe, he just always felt a little awkward and failed to understand the attraction that could occur between two men. Later though, he would find himself agreeing with the female staff members that the two in room 632 did make a cute couple.

Vince couldn't believe the room they had. The walls were a soft blue and green combination, the floor was covered by a plush cream carpet that was thick as sponge pudding. There was an I-Pod port on the chest of drawers. ((I said it was based present day. The London does actually have I-pod ports in every room; I read it on the website)). There was a huge flat screen HD ready television on one wall, opposite a huge King-size bed covered in dazzling white linen. There was a small glass coffee table with two cream arm chairs beside the large windows that covered one wall, and the view across the city was fantastic. Vince stood silent for a moment, something which was rare for him, staring out across the city. It finally sank in.

"I'm in New York city," he murmured to himself.

"No, you're on Fantasy Island," scoffed Stuart sarcastically as he dumped their duffel bags by the chest of draws and proceeded to flop leisurely across the crisp, freshly made bed. Something dawned in Vince's mind.

"Err, Stuart?"

"Yes?"

"I think they got our room wrong. They've only given us the one bed," he said. He hoped to God that he wouldn't have to share a bed with Stuart and his shag for the night while the hotel sorted it out. He'd never been into threesomes really.

"No, this is what I asked for. One King sized bed. We can share, like we did when we were kids" Stuart replied. "Like we did at your sisters wedding…" he trailed off quietly.

"Yeah, okay, but where am I going to sleep when you bring your shag back with us?" queried Vince, sounding a little flustered.

"There aren't going to be any shags, so don't worry. Now start unpacking and pick something nice to wear later, I'm taking you out for dinner." He said with an air of finality, sitting up from the bed and bending to undo and slip off his shoes. Vince wanted to question him further, but he new it would be useless: once Stuart ended a conversation you wouldn't get a word out of him.

The two of them went about unpacking their bags in silence for a while, until Stuart dug out his I-Pod and stuck it into the speaker terminal. He set it to play a Robbie Williams album quietly as background noise. They'd both finished with about twenty minutes, their various pairs of jeans and t-shirts, trousers and shirts hung in their respective halves of the wardrobe on the hotel provided hangers, their shoes lined up in the bottom of the wardrobe. They'd divided the three draws of the chest of draws between them, Stuart having the top, Vince the second one down for their underwear and the third being shared for their collection of socks. Stuart stowed his toiletries in the space provided in the opulent en suite bathroom, while Vince spread his across the table at his side of the bed (there was one on either side, both with a lamp, but Stuart's had the phone and complementary clock). Vince always preferred the right side of a bed.

By the time they'd finished it was just after one o'clock and Vince realised that they'd not had anything to eat since the muffins in Starbucks a few hours earlier. He was about to suggest that they go get something to eat when Stuart picked up the hotel phone.

"Hi, I'd like to order some room service," he said before he covered the mouthpiece and called over to Vince, who was only just taking off his suit jacket.

"What do you want?"

"Umm, a cheeseburger?" he said impulsively. _Well I am in America aren't I?_ He thought,_ home of the burger and fries._ Stuart just laughed at him.

"A cheeseburger and a Chicken Caesar salad for room 623. Send it up with my other order" he said into the phone. Vince didn't notice that he didn't order drinks. He didn't really notice much very often.

"You think I've got time for a shower before the food gets here?"

"Not really, it'll only be fifteen minutes" Stuart replied. Then he got another sly idea. "You can shower afterwards. I'll have one too. Then we can go to sleep for a bit, I don't know about you but I'm feeling jet lagged."

"Yeah, I do feel a bit tired, could probably do with a kip. Then I won't be tired if we go out later," Vince agreed. He flopped onto his side of the bed, his shirt hanging open from where he had started to undress for his shower to reveal a bare chest with a little dark blonde hair scattered across his pale flesh. _He'll look even better when he's tanned a little_, thought Stuart who was sat on the bed next to him, not having moved after making the order.

"Thanks for letting me come with you" said Vince after a moment of mutual silence.

"You just remember what I said. You hold me back and I'll kill you"

"Not if I kill you first" laughed Vince. He received an unexpected blow to the face from a duck feather pillow for his cheek. They were having a full blown pillow fight by the time there was a knock on the door announcing the arrival of room service.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any Queer as Folk characters or have rights to the series. Please forgive any liberties taken.

Chapter 5

Stuart went answer the door while Vince tried to straighten the bed clothes in to some semblance of neatness. He was thankful that the feathers hadn't come flying out of the pillows as they did with some makes of pillow when used rather boisterously to bludgeon someone. Stuart was cursing under his breath at the interruption. They'd been having light-hearted fun, something the two of them hadn't shared in a while. _Damn room service, worse timing in the world,_ he grumbled inwardly. He yanked the door open to find a rather delicious looking blonde guy, with hazel eyes and a chiselled jaw, with his fist raised in mid-air on its way to knock the now vacant door. The hazel eyes gave him an appreciative once over, noting how his dishelved appearance served to make the dark haired guest look extremely sexy. Stuart sighed; _Too bad I've got my sights set somewhere closer to home. Where were you last week? _he thought wryly to himself.

"Your order, sir" said the blonde, manoeuvring his serving cart into the doorway in a manner that somehow managed to be seductive.

"Thanks. Vince the foods here!" he called over his shoulder, giving the guy the unsaid message of 'back off, I'm taken'. To his credit, the attendant did stop his posturing.

"Will that be all, sir?" He asked politely.

"Yeah. I take it this will just go onto my bill?"

"Of course, sir. Shall I just leave the cart with you sir?"

"Yeah. Thanks again" said Stuart, slipping a twenty-dollar tip into the breast pocket of his staff blazer. The attendant politely turned and left while Stuart pulled the cart into the room and shut the door again.

"He was tasty looking" said Vince's voice in his ear. He hadn't heard him approach. "I'm surprised you didn't just pull him into the room and eat him." When Stuart turned round he saw why the attendant had left so quickly. Vince was now only wearing his trousers, obviously eager to get straight in the shower after he'd eaten. He was a sight and a half. The guy really had no clue what a hunk he could be, or the effect he had on a certain someone.

"If I'd wanted a Tart, I'd have ordered one" was his only reply. Vince had to laugh, Stuarts quick wit never ceased to amaze him.

Vince settled himself into one of the plush armchairs at the small, stylish coffee table as Stuart wheeled over to the table.

"Hey Stuart, what's that?" Vince had finally noticed the glaring metal bucket, capped with a large lid, which sat incongruously upon the trolley with Vince's cheeseburger. Stuart lifted the lid with a flourish, revealing the neck of a bottle submerged in a bath of ice.

"It's champagne my dear" he crowed. He pulled out two flutes that had been hidden from view behind the bucket.

"Hang on a minute, champagne? You can't drink champagne at lunch time. Anyway, it's too expensive; you've spent enough on me already." Vince protested.

"The Edwardians drank champagne with every meal. Churchill had a bottle with breakfast everyday. I can call that blonde back and share it with him if you don't want it. I'm sure I can find some constructive use for it" he teased. Vince uttered a noise of objection. "Oh, so you want some now do you?" Stuart shook the bottle, then quickly and expertly popped the cork with one thumb, covering the majority of the neck with the digit, spraying Vince with the sweet, dry tasting liquid.

"Oi! Stuart! Stop it!" he cried, raising his arms to shield himself as Stuart cackled away and continued to soak him. "Thanks a lot you bastard. Now I'm soaked. Good job I wanted a shower anyway" he grumbled after the soaking had ceased.

"I could always lick it off you" laughed Stuart as he poured two generous flutes of champagne to go with their lunches.

"Piss off!" Vince was already starting to blush. Stuart always new the right buttons to push to make him uncomfortable.

"Here, just shut up and drink it" Stuart said as he handed Vince one of the glasses. He placed his own on the table, along with the bottle of champagne still in its bucket of ice. He took their respective plates and set them on the table too, along with the sets of cutlery provided.

"Dinner is served" he said as he settled himself into the chair opposite Vince.

"A toast" he said, grabbing his glass off the table and raising it above the middle of the table. "To finally expanding your world" he said, smiling brightly.

"To getting out of the scene" retorted Vince as he gingerly knocked his glance against Stuarts.

They downed the champagne and Stuart poured them each another glass as they eagerly ate their meals. Stuart kept sneaking glances at Vince as he attempted to stretch his delicate mouth around the huge burger. He laughed quietly to himself at how child like Vince seemed. Adorable. He sat wondering why it had taken him so long to see what had always been there, and why he still failed to act. He'd never once managed to express his emotions clearly in his life. But he was going to change. He had to, for his and Vince's sake. This trip was the perfect opportunity, away from the judgement and scrutiny of friends and family, a second chance for them both.

It wasn't long before they were both full and their plates and the bottle were empty. They both sat lazily in their chairs listening to the background music still pouring through the sound system. By this time it had shifted to a Placebo album and was currently playing the title track 'Without You I'm Nothing'. _How sadly appropriate,_ thought Vince. He stayed where he was a moment, stealing an eyeful of the dozing Stuart, worrying to himself about the last few days. So much had happened, so much had changed. He didn't want to create false hope for himself, but during these last few weeks, especially the past few days, he thought he had seen something different in the way Stuart had been acting. _I'm just fooling myself,_ he thought dejectedly.

"I'm going for my shower now" he stated, heaving himself out of the too comfortable chair before he fell asleep. He grabbed himself a pair of clean boxers, navy silk, on his way to the en suite. He closed the door firmly behind himself and quickly stripped off the last of his clothes. He looked briefly at himself in the mirror and still failed to see anything worthy of attention. He touched his chest briefly, feeling the stickiness of the champagne that had dried there. He'd missed days like these, where it was just the two of them, when they could just be themselves and be together. He climbed into the shower-bath and pulled the curtain across before turning on the hot water tap. He liked his water hot enough to scold.

It wasn't long before he'd finished. He reeked of the complimentary soap and shampoo, a vanilla scent which reminded him of home and the shampoo he used to get cheap on discount from work. He let the water cascade down his back and his arse one last time before he shut off the water and reached for his towel which was handily at waist height just inside the curtain. _Hang on a minute,_ he thought, suddenly confused, _I left my towel on the floor_. He noticed that the towel was being offered to him by a hand attached to an arm protruding around the side of the curtain. He hastily grabbed the soft, fluffy towel and wrapped it around his waist before angrily sweeping aside the curtain.

"What are you doing in here, Stuart?!" he demanded angrily. He wasn't just embarrassed, he was pissed.

"I needed a piss. And then I thought I may as well wait the few minutes until you'd finish so I could use the shower" Stuart explained. This did fit with the fact that he was wearing nothing but a white towel that matched Vince's. Vince inwardly groaned when he realised Stuart had stripped naked less than ten feet from him and he'd missed it. he was so disappointed he forgot he was angry with Stuart in the first place.

"Alright. Well I'm going to go get dried off and then I'm going to bed" he said. He scooped up his clean boxers and his discarded trousers and underwear. Stuart watched him leave, silently appreciating the dripping wet view. The truth was that Stuart had followed him into the bathroom not long after he'd got into the shower and had quietly spying on him. Seeing his silhouette while he bathed was better than nothing at all. That view and seeing Vince dripping wet as he climbed out of the bath had unfortunately made him a little too excited for his own good, but Vince hadn't seemed to notice.

Stuart made sure the door was locked before shedding his own towel and stepping into the bath. He pulled the curtain closed and turned on the hot and cold water for the shower fixture. He liked his water to be just above body temperature, like a lover during sex, heated but human. He washed himself thoroughly before her decided to deal with his erection. It didn't take too much to get rid of it, just the image of Vince wet and glistening and the remembered sensation of brushing close against him on the plane and the sweet, cinnamon taste of his lips. He almost sobbed after he shot his load. _I'm such a sad bastard._

By the time he'd finished his shower, dried off and gotten his own boxers on, black cotton, Vince was already asleep. He was curled up in the middle of the huge bed instead of on his side, obviously having shifted in his sleep. The room was darkened somewhat by the blinds that Vince had drawn across the large windows and the clock read 3:15pm already. Stuart was tired and frustrated and depressed, but he still marvelled at how sweet Vince looked when he slept, how carefree. When he was awake, Vince nearly always had a worried frown on his face. Stuart walked round to his side of the bed, lifted the thick duvet and slid in. He admired the line of Vince's shoulders and the way his back curved since he was facing away from him. Stuart shifted in the bed, onto his side and nestled himself against Vince's sleeping back. he was too tired to care what Vince would think in the morning if he woke up with Stuart still spooning him. He wrapped his arm across Vince's chest and nuzzled his face in his the dark blonde, slightly damp hair. The familiar scent of vanilla comforted him and he fell asleep listening to Vince's breathing.

((sorry, no shower scene lol. I'll be including one later perhaps, although I think it may be a little too reminiscent of the StuartNathan shower scene in the series.

This chapter took me a little longer than I intended, but I hope all the re-working paid off and you like it.))


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